Electrosurgical systems are used by physicians to remove several different tissue types. For example, procedures involving the knee or shoulder may remove portions of cartilage, meniscus, and free floating and/or trapped tissue. In some cases, the removal may be a very slight removal, such as tissue sculpting, and in other cases the more aggressive removal of tissue is used. Removing each different tissue type, and/or aggressiveness, may represent a different amount of applied energy.
Electrosurgical wands used with electrosurgical systems in electrosurgical procedures have a limited useful life. Any advance that makes determining when an electrosurgical wand has reached the end of its useful life and/or fluid flow through the wand has been at least partially blocked during an electrosurgical procedure would enable surgeons to plan more effectively and/or take corrective action.